Can the private sector mop up the slack after the Government cuts?

It’s the big questions. The cuts will reduce the deficit but will they stall any chance of getting back to a growth economy and land us in a “double-dip”? Far better economists than me disagree on the outcome. But one thing is certain, and on this the British Chancellor agrees, if anything is going to get the economy steaming again it has to be the private sector.
In mid October I went on a most inspiring business trip to Småland, where I visited a Goodwille client, Axelent. What got my head spinning, considering the current economic climate and the strength of global competition, is just how they manage to succeed internationally. Axelent AB manufactures machine guards and warehouse partitioning –nothing particularly complex or sophisticated, but very useful. Their competitive edge is to be the quickest to act and deliver, even to Australian clients!
George Osborne has just delivered his spending review. According to the BBC’s Robert Peston the private sector had shed surprisingly few jobs through the credit-crunch recession, given job sharing, part-time working and so on – solutions the public sector may now need to adopt. The private sector, according to some analysts, needs to pick up ‘just 2%’ to absorb all the public-sector job losses – not unfeasible as long as economic recovery is sustained.
After my nearly 30 years in the UK I am confident that the Brits will reinvent themselves yet again. The Uk’s economic problems are somewhat different to those of Southern Europe and especially the Eurozone countries.
When you look at the success of a modestly sized company like Axelent, operating from the depths of the Småland forests, in the land of IKEA where you are used to looking after the pennies, you can see imaginative enterprise has been necessary for sheer survival. In Anderstorp, another small town in Småland, with only 5,000 inhabitants, they have 140 companies! I do hope that the spirit of enterprise will once more flourish in the UK and, as the saying goes, ‘Get going when the going gets tough!’.

Gymnastic for the brain!?

Why can the banks not invest in one internet banking system? Imagine the quality, security and not at least ease of usuage. Because of my business and all the payments that we do for our clients I am for the moment, together with my private banking having to use 9 different systems! Let me tell you they all vary enormously. This morning I had to waste so much time figuring out how to change payee details on this particular banking system, even worse it made me feel so stupid as well! The only advantage I can see having so many systems is that it gives us good brain gymnastic and if you like problem solving your are in your element!

Amazing LinkedIn!

Did a mega clean out of my desk and found some old CVs of applicants for Goodwille jobs. Some of them seemed interesting again for a job position we are now looking for as business developer. Guess what I did? I checked them out on LinkedIn and to my amazement most of them were to be found. Some I could get rid of and other we may contact due to what they are doing now and see ... Can you imagine the extra work required to do this without LinkedIn?

The more I work with LinkedIn the more amazing I find it. My aim is to come to 500 connections by the end of the summer, nearly there! I promise I only add people I know and like!

Too many plugs!

Today I was asked to find the cord to go from my iPhone to the computer, easy peacy one would think. For me NO! First I showed off the five million cords, leads, plugs that I carry every day in my rug sack so I will not loose them and to ensure I have the when I need them. None of them was any good of course. Came home and started looking for it and gave up. Asked my son who asked me where my charger for the phone was and I showed him where it always is. Mummy just pull off the plug and there it is!!!!!!!! How on earth would I have known to find it there? I guess I would have needed to have started playing with computers at the age of six........

Skype, Facebook etc

How many are we going to be able to communicate with simultanously with in the future?? My head is still spinning. Last night I was out there in cyperspace catching up with friends on Facebook, chatting and writing on my wall. Yes I was writing on my wall believe it or not because I was so frustrating booking tickets on the net, grr made a mistake of course because of the going and coming of a large family. In the middle of all of it a friend had to call me as well on Skype while my son Oskar tried to chat with me on Facebook. How popular can one get? Never happens in real life, well ... I need more practice much more that is for sure, even as a woman you should be able to more than one thing at once, but this! My friend Marianne then tells me that she sends e-mails and sends photos while Skyping! Well when that happens the champagne comes out that is for sure.

LinkedIn..

I have just found something amazing on LinkedIn! When sorting out old inquiries I found one from Mobeon and was curious what had happened. Both with regard to my contact there and the company. Of course I found my contact on LinkedIn and where she had moved to. As you can see their preiouvs employments it is so easy to check you have the correct person if they have a more common name, fantastic. The real amazing thing was when I then googled Mobeon and landed on there LinkedIn site and found that I know three people from three different networks that has been former employees of Mobeon, how about that! This information can be so useful if you need to get introduction into the company. I really must play more with LinkedIn ..

What happened??

The blog is on ... tried flickr today but could not work it out, did not have enough time to go through the various routes! Why can it not be easy and understandable? Oskar my 14 year old son can do everything straight away and in great speed! What does he see and I don't? Why did I not have a computer when I was a kid, grrrrr. More luck tomorrow and I am probably not so tired from an early start from Gothenburg! You need to be alert for these things to click in a full head!